Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

A bby accepted the mango daiquiri from Judd, raised it in his direction, sat back, and propped her feet on the sun-bed.

"Sure you wouldn't like me to rub some of that sunscreen lotion on you?"

Abby raised an eyebrow and sent him her best ‘not on your life, mister' look. "Let's just relax and soak up a bit of sun, okay?"

He grinned and shrugged. "Can't blame a guy for trying."

Abby lifted her hair off her neck in a purely feminine gesture designed to drive him wild, enjoying flirting with him when she could see how much he wanted her.

She'd never felt this empowered before, this aware of her allure as a woman, and if she'd enjoyed teasing him when they'd been platonic friends it had nothing on the fun she was having taunting him now they were lovers.

"You've spent too much time with primates, that's your problem."

"How so?"

"All you've got on your mind is monkey business," she said, taking a healthy slurp of her cocktail as he rolled his eyes at her lame joke.

"In that case, care to keep me as a pet? I play the organ real well." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and she burst out laughing, knowing he always had to have the last word.

"Don't you mean organ grinder?"

"That, too." He clinked glasses with her. "Here's to us, sweetheart."

She batted her eyelashes at him. "Us? My, my, and here I thought this was just casual sex."

He leaned forward and ran a fingertip down her bare arm, setting her skin alight. "How about some not-so-casual sex? Like all night's worth?"

A shiver of anticipation skittered down her spine and she ran the icy glass along her forehead. "A nice thought…"

"Just nice?"

She placed her frosted glass on the table next to her. "Fine." She shrugged, toying with the bikini string behind her neck, enjoying the beads of perspiration popping out on his forehead as he tried to refocus on her face. "It's a great thought, but unless we get plans to thank our co-workers sorted now, we might be hashing out ideas all night and that might put a dent in your romantic aspirations?"

He held up his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay, so what's the plan?"

Abby laughed at his resigned expression. "I don't know yet, but we've got to do something special for Tom and Tara. They've definitely gone above and beyond the call of duty on this shoot."

"Yeah, the big guy came through on the wedding shoot. And Tara helped too."

Abby squinted her eyes and tapped her bottom lip with a finger, deep in thought. "I've seen a few covert glances between the two of them. Maybe if we give them a gentle push in the right direction, nature will take its course?"

"Gentle push? More like a hard shove. I haven't noticed Tara reacting much to Tom's incessant flirting." Judd stilled her tapping finger, drawing it to his mouth to kiss it, effectively wiping all thought from her mind. "Besides, we're not here to play matchmaker, we're here to figure out a way to thank them, remember?"

"You're right." Abby picked up her drink and took a sip. "Maybe the four of us get together for a drink? Shout them a meal, or is that too informal? Not enough? What do you think?"

"I think you're the most incredible woman I've ever met."

Her breath hitched as he leaned forward, tipped her chin up, and slanted his lips across hers, a slow, sensual assault that left her reeling.

"Where did that come from?" Her hand shook as she placed her cocktail on the table, but not half as much as her heart. Shaken didn't come close to describing the cataclysmic realisation a second before his lips touched hers.

She'd been deluding herself.

She didn't just love Judd.

She was in love with him.

Heart and soul.

He reached out and captured her hand in his, steadying her, infusing her cold hand with his warmth.

"You really need to ask?"

"Uh-huh."

She needed to know if he stood by their initial plan for a fling or if last night changed everything for him too.

She needed to know if feeling this way about a guy she'd known for so long was crazy.

Most of all, she needed to know if the heat, the passion, and the tenderness blazing from his eyes every time he looked at her was real or some role he was playing.

She'd seen him do it before. He'd played roles his entire life: the devil-may-care kid who didn't give a hoot what people thought about him, the rebel teen who pushed away anyone who tried to get close, the adventurous warrior hellbent on travelling the world and never having ties to one place.

She'd seen it all, had loved him through it all, yet now, what if his role-playing affected her?

"We're good together," he said, holding her hand as if he'd never let go. "You're incredible, the most important person in my life, and my head's still spinning from what's happened over the last few days. Surely you know that?"

Abby blinked several times, annoyed by the sudden tears burning the back of her eyes.

She could ask him how he really felt.

She could ask him if this was all a game, a new role he was trying on for size.

Instead, she did what she always did with Judd: kept things light.

"All I know is you're a great friend…and an even better lover."

She leaned forward and kissed him, swift and hard, demanding an instant response, needing to obliterate her doubts and questions with the consuming heat between them.

The kiss could've lasted a second, a minute, an hour, she had no idea, and when they finally came up for air, breathing heavily, she knew this wasn't the time for thinking or admitting anything.

"Come with me." She held her hand out to him and he took it, all but leaping off his sun-bed.

"Should I trust you?" His sinful smile sent heat rushing through her and she tugged on his hand.

"Yeah."

"So the Tom and Tara thing is taken care of?"

"Totally," she said, laughing as they picked up the pace, their feet flying across the sand towards her room. "Now it's time I take care of something else."

"A woman who likes to take charge, what a turn on."

"Less talking, more running," she said, laughing as he tripped over his feet in his haste to keep up.

She had to lose herself in his arms, in his kisses, in the sheer mind-blowing pleasure of sex, anything to reassure herself that maybe she hadn't made a mistake and she wasn't in love with him.

This had to be just physical. Contemplating the complications if she'd been stupid enough to fall for Judd didn't bear thinking about. She couldn't think, didn't want to think, about anything other than how incredible he made her feel.

"Here, let me," he said, reaching out and taking the key-card to her room as she fumbled several times, cursing softly as the door light repeatedly lit red.

"So much for my seductress impersonation."

He smiled and caught her as they tumbled into her room, the door swinging open first time under his expert touch. "I'm not into impersonations but I'm sure into you, Abby Weiss," he said, nuzzling her neck and sending fire streaking through her body as his lips brushed the sensitive skin at the nape.

"Prove it." She pulled back slightly, staring straight into his expressive hazel eyes, arching her brow to entice.

"It will be my pleasure."

His elaborate bow made her giggle, but before she could move, he swept her into his arms and headed for the bed, his intent expression leaving in her little doubt he was a man of his word.

He laid her gently on the bed and propped next to her, tracing circles on her bare arms as shivers of excitement skittered through her, before he leaned forward and grazed her lips with an exhilarating kiss that promised more, so much more.

However, as his hands left her arms and moved across to her breasts, his phone rang.

"Damn it," he muttered, fumbling in his back pocket. "I'll turn it off."

"Might be important?"

Though at that precise moment, what could be more important than assuaging her raging desire for him?

Shaking his head, he stared at the screen and her heart sank as the passion faded from his eyes. "It's about work so I really should take it."

"Go ahead."

She gave him a gentle shove, hating that even at a time like this, his job came first. Not surprising. His work had always been the number one priority in his life, ever since he fled Pier Point for bigger and better things all those years ago.

Back then, it had hurt, but she hadn't begrudged his ambition. But now, hot on the heels of the stunning realisation she felt more for him than she ever thought possible, how he could relegate her to second best in the blink of an eye hurt. A whole damn lot.

The caller had hung up by the time he answered but she watched a shadow flicker over his face as he listened to the message. When he laid the phone down, he didn't have to say anything. She could read his upcoming message loud and clear.

Capturing her chin, he dropped a quick kiss on her lips. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I really have to sort out some issues with this guy. Can we take a rain-check?"

Hating the disappointment welling in her chest, she nodded. "Yeah, I should do some planning for the final shoot tomorrow anyway."

"So a rain-check's okay?"

Rolling into a sitting position, she forced a laugh. "Only if you're lucky. I've heard the rainy season ended around here months ago."

"Tonight," he murmured, taking her by surprise with a swift, scorching kiss that made her toes curl. "Take it from me, it's going to pour cats and dogs."

She laughed despite her disappointment, watching the guy she'd been stupid enough to fall in love with walk out the door, taking a huge piece of her heart with him without knowing it.